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International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research
Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
Website: ijshr.com
Review Article ISSN: 2455-7587
International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research (www.ijshr.com) 215
Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
Historical Journey of Homoeopathy during
Epidemic Diseases in the Light of 2019 Novel
Coronavirus Pandemic
Renu Bala1, Amit Srivastava
2
1,2
Research Officer (H)/Scientist-1, Regional Research Institute for Homoeopathy, Imphal, Manipur,
Under Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy, New Delhi.
Corresponding Author: Renu Bala
ABSTRACT
Homoeopathy is a therapeutic system founded
by German physician Dr Samuel Hahnemann in
the late 1700’s and has been used for 200 years
around the world in acute and chronic disease
conditions. Homoeopathy has also flourished
during the times of epidemic diseases and the
use of homoeopathic remedies as genus
epidemicus and homoeoprophylaxis began with
Hahnemann. Although the effectiveness of the
homoeopathic remedies in epidemics has been
scarcely proved by controlled studies, yet there
is vast historical evidence which proves that
homoeopathic remedies have been successfully
used to prevent these conditions. The
homoeopathic literature was searched to find out
the historical evidences of the use of
homoeopathic remedies during epidemics and
pandemics. Homoeopathic treatment during
epidemics is reviewed in eight diseases and their
results are found for epidemics of Scarlet fever,
Typhus, Cholera, Dysentery, Spanish flu,
Diphtheria, Measles, Whooping cough. Also the
prophylactic effect of homoeopathic medicines
is found in Fourteen epidemic diseases namely
Scarlet fever, Smallpox, Poliomyelitis,
Meningitis, Whooping cough, Dengue, Cholera,
Japanese Encephalitis, Leptospirosis,
Diphtheria, Influenza, Hepatitis, Malaria,
Chikungunya. Many clinical trials have also
been conducted during the epidemics of
Chikungunya, Influenza like illness, Dengue,
Acute Encephalitis Syndrome/Japanese
Encephalitis. The current novel Coronavirus
disease, COVID-19, has rapidly spread over the
globe and has been declared as pandemic by
World Health Organization. Till now, no
specific treatment or vaccine has emerged to
control this pandemic. However, many
homoeopaths over different parts of the world
have treated a wide range of COVID positive
cases with different remedies. This review not
only brings forward the success stories of
homoeopathy during past epidemics but also
presents its utility in the current pandemic.
Key words: COVID-19, Epidemic diseases,
Homoeopathy, Homoeoprophylaxis, Immunity.
INTRODUCTION
The epidemic diseases are those
diseases in which many individuals are
affected very similarly from a similar cause
which becomes contagious in crowded
areas. These epidemics manifest a similar
disease process which, if left to itself, ends
either in death or in recovery within a
limited time.
A smallpox epidemic in Greece in
430 BC that killed more than 30,000 people
was one of the first-documented
epidemics.[1]
Dr. Hahnemann even before
the discovery of homoeopathy elaborately
discussed various measures for preventing
diseases in general with special reference to
communicable diseases and importance of
sanitation.[2]
It is interesting to note that
homeopathy was invented in the same year
as Jenner first practiced vaccination
(1796).[1]
Homoeopathy is founded upon
principles based upon basic natural laws
which remain firm and intact whether it is
an acute case or the panics of epidemics.[3]
Renu Bala et.al. Historical journey of homoeopathy during epidemic diseases in the light of 2019 novel
coronavirus pandemic
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Hahnemann intuited the concept of
“contagious principle” as a vehicle capable
of transmitting epidemic diseases. He
described acute epidemic miasmas acquired
through a “contagious principle”, which
today could be equated to a microbe or virus
infection.[4]
Close observation of the first
cases in an epidemic of infectious diseases
is exceedingly valuable to obtain the
symptomatology of epidemic diseases.[5]
Hahnemann during the epidemic of
Scarlatina founded that the indicative
remedy given at that time stifles the fever in
its beginning and was more efficacious than
other known medicaments in removing the
greater part of the after-sufferings following
Scarlatina.[3]
Recently, a new coronavirus (CoV)
strain has become a matter of concern for
human lives.[6]
Researchers at the Wuhan
Institute of Virology called it novel
coronavirus 2019 (nCoV-2019).[7]
The US
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC) refers to it as 2019 novel coronavirus
(2019-nCoV).[8]
Since the beginning of 21st
Century, the current CoV outbreak is the
third attack, previous ones being Severe
Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus
(SARS-CoV) epidemic in 2003 and Middle
East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus
(MERS-CoV) epidemic in 2012. This
outbreak seems to be challenging to manage
considering the rapid spread via droplets
and non availability of any effective
vaccines or antiviral drugs.[9]
Vaccines, anti-
viral medications, and antibiotics are
considered to be the standard treatments for
these diseases. However, difficulties with
developing and disseminating
immunizations, viral mutations, and the
growing problem of antibiotic-resistant
bacteria are undermining these
approaches.[1]
Many older patients who became
severely ill from 2019-nCoV suffered from
underlying illnesses like cardiovascular
diseases, liver diseases, kidney diseases or
malignant tumors. These non communicable
diseases has become the aggravating factor
for the adverse outcome of 2019-nCoV. The
percentage of deaths in 2019-nCoV patients
with underlying conditions of
cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic
respiratory diseases, hypertension and
cancer contributes to 13.2%, 9.2%, 8%, 8%,
8.4% and 7.6% respectively whereas in
patients with no pre existing condition
contributes to 0.9% only.[10]
Homoeopathy has an important role
to play in case of epidemic diseases. Even
the most severe and fearful epidemics like
scarlet fever, cholera etc. have been
encountered successfully by homoeopathic
medicines.
WHO has recently called for
“innovative” approaches for treating
communicable diseases supporting the role
of traditional medicines in maintaining the
health of populations.[1,11]
Homoeopathic concept of Prophylaxis
Hahnemann founded medicine, not
on physics and chemistry, but on the
universal laws of Life and Motion. He refers
all the phenomena of health and disease
under two names, "The Dynamis" and "The
Life Force." This is Hahnemann's greatest
discovery, and the absolute bed-rock of his
system.[12]
Homoeopathic concept of disease
defines the cause as morbific dynamic agent
which invades the dynamicity of a living
organism and if could defeat the vital
principle then produces the sign and
symptoms characteristic of the morbific
agent upon the body and mind of the victim.
Any disease can be prevented by keeping
the life force undisturbed. Homoeopathy
provides a healthy condition by boosting
this natural function of the vital principle of
the organism through which it prevents and
cures the disease.[13]
Prophylaxis is the great
preoccupation of all physicians and
biologists. For homoeopathic prophylaxis in
infectious diseases we need not hunt the
bacteria or virus for the vaccination. This is
because homoeopathic therapy is
symptomatic and not materialistic and
emphasis is on totality of symptoms as
patient’s disease and not on virus. Also it is
Renu Bala et.al. Historical journey of homoeopathy during epidemic diseases in the light of 2019 novel
coronavirus pandemic
International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research (www.ijshr.com) 217
Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
very difficult to prepare vaccine against
such diseases as the viruses frequently
change their genetic pattern each time they
appear in the epidemic form. Interestingly,
an epidemic requires different remedies
when rages in different places. The
prophylactic can be found by collecting the
symptomatology of few patients of an
epidemic in an area. This remedy can act as
the curative as well as the preventive
medicine during the specified epidemic for
that area. A low potency of the preventive
medicine is suggested as it works even in
patients of unmanifested disease.[14]
The supreme importance of
prophylaxis lies in the echo of the aphorism,
“He is likewise a preserver of health if he
knows the things that derange health and
cause disease, and how to remove them
from persons in health”.[4]
Homoeopathy as Immunity Booster
There are a number of ways to boost
a person’s level of immunity to specified
infectious diseases. One way is by raising
general health through good diet and
nutrition, through a balanced lifestyle, and
through constitutional homoeopathic
treatment or herbal treatment to improve the
overall vitality of the person. The second
way to boost a person’s level of disease-
specific immunity by two ways: one is
vaccination, and the second is the use of
homoeopathically selected and prepared
substances, a procedure known as
homoeoprophylaxis [HP].
In homoeopathy there is no
immunisation but there are remedies that
can build up immunity to infections as well
as act as curative where a disease has
developed. These remedies carry no risk of
detrimental effects, they are absolutely
safe.[15]
If medicines can protect us from the
contagion of a raging epidemic, they must
possess a greater power to alter our vital
force than the epidemic.[4]
No disease will arise without an
existing predisposition to that disease.[15]
Susceptibility in organism, mental or bodily,
is equivalent to the state involving attitude
towards internal causes and to external
circumstances. In health we live and act and
resist without knowing it but in disease we
live but suffer.[5]
It is the absence of the
predisposition to any particular disease that
makes us immune to it. Homoeopathy alone
is capable of removing these
predispositions.[15]
Immunity can be assured to patients
if we will closely observe the
symptomatology and select the remedy in
the early stages of each epidemic, by
administering the remedy as a
prophylactic.[5]
The hahnemannian outlook of
preventing an epidemic disease is twofold.
One is to collect subjective and objective
symptoms of few cases of epidemic in an
area to find the genus epidemicus both for
prevention and treatment. This type of
approach satisfies long term immunity in the
organism. The second approach is to give a
remedy which was effective in previous
epidemic which best suits when genus
epidemicus is not worked out.[16]
Case Taking in Epidemic diseases
Whether or not an epidemic is new
or unusual makes no difference since in any
case the physician must presume the true
picture of every epidemic to be new and
unknown and must thoroughly examine it in
all its details. This is because every
epidemic is in many ways unique and is
found to be very different from all previous
ones.
From writing down the symptoms of
several cases, the outline of the disease
picture becomes more and more complete.
The symptoms like loss of appetite,
sleeplessness etc. and those that are more
exceptional and unusual constitute the
characteristic picture of the epidemic. The
totality of its symptoms cannot be perceived
in any one patient, but can be gathered only
from the sufferings of several patients with
different physical constitutions. The totality
of symptoms common to all the patients
reveals the one specific homoeopathic
remedy to the epidemic which always helps
patients who were fairly healthy before the
epidemic.[5]
Renu Bala et.al. Historical journey of homoeopathy during epidemic diseases in the light of 2019 novel
coronavirus pandemic
International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research (www.ijshr.com) 218
Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
All the symptoms have to be
arranged in a schematic form, like the mind
symptoms of the different patients under
mind and the head symptoms under head,
and so on as if one man had expressed all
the symptoms, and in this way the particular
disease in schematic form will be
represented. By the aid of a repertory the
symptom totality will lead to a group of
remedies for the particular epidemic and the
Materia Medica can reach to one remedy
which seems to be best suited to the general
nature of the sickness.[17]
The selection of a
remedy ought not to be grounded only on
subjective symptoms, but rather on the
characteristic nucleus of the symptomatic
picture that was mandatorily expressed in
the pathological effects experimentally
verified in human beings and animals.[18]
For prophylaxis there is required a
less degree of similitude than is necessary
for curing. A remedy will not have to be so
similar to prevent disease as to cure it so we
must look to homoeopathy for protection as
well as for cure.[17]
The genius epidemicus
The concept of genius epidemicus
originated with Hippocrates and was taken
up again by Paracelsus (1493-1541) who
pointed out to the need to find the specific
remedy for each epidemic. He wrote, “If
you cannot find the specific remedy for
every epidemic, all your endeavor to cure is
in vain.”
Hahnemann described the concept
clearly in his writings without using the
expression genius epidemicus. However,
Aegidi related a conversation he had with
Hahnemann when he was visiting him in
1831, in which Hahnemann used the term
genius epidemicus. Underlying the practical
concept of the genius epidemicus is the
working hypothesis that the same cause
must be followed by like effect. Hahnemann
described the same process in paragraph
101, 241 and 73 in the Organon, but still
without using the term genius epidemicus.
The genius epidemicus is in apparent
conflict within the homeopathic
methodology of strict individualization,
which is the fundamental key to success in
homeopathy, but in epidemics we can try to
individualize the collective disease rather
than every single case affected by the
epidemic disease. The selection of the
remedy must be from the totality of the
epidemic symptoms, and not from one
individual epidemic case.
It is not always easy to find one
remedy for an entire epidemic and
especially during a pandemic. The genius
epidemicus tends to change from climatic
area to another, from the seashore to the
mountains. The genius epidemicus may be
different for the different stages of an
epidemic in the same locality.[19]
Homoeoprophylaxis (HP) and its
Historical evidences
HP is the use of potentised
substances in a systematic manner to
prevent the development of the
characteristic symptoms of infectious
diseases. It was first described in 1801. It is
comparably effective to vaccination and
also completely nontoxic and therefore safe.
A substance that is capable of
producing in many healthy persons a group
of symptoms similar to the characteristic
symptoms of an infectious disease, is
capable of preventing those characteristic
symptoms in most previously unprotected
persons. Hahnemann's proving of Cinchona
is a prophylactic for malaria, Nosodes are
further examples of this application of the
Law of Similars. Similarly, a substance that
is capable of removing the characteristic
symptoms of an infectious disease in many
infected patients is capable of preventing
similar symptoms in most previously
unprotected persons.[15]
Hahnemann's use of
Belladonna to both treat and prevent scarlet
fever[20]
, Lathyrus Sativus used in the polio
epidemics to treat polio[21]
, can also be used
for polio prevention are few examples.
Three methods of HP have been described [15]
:
The first method is the use of the
constitutional remedy which strengthens the
vital force by removing predispositions,
Renu Bala et.al. Historical journey of homoeopathy during epidemic diseases in the light of 2019 novel
coronavirus pandemic
International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research (www.ijshr.com) 219
Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
increasing vitality and raising general
immunity to stress and diseases.
The second method is the use of the genus
epidemicus that is especially useful in
offering protection against acute epidemic
diseases.
The third method is the use of the nosode. In
this method a nosode of the targeted disease
is given as a preventive to that disease.
Homoeopathic medicine during
epidemic/pandemic can be prescribed
during the following different phases [16]
:
Preventive stage: As disease is not
manifested in the individual, it strengthens
the inbuilt host resistance to prevent the
epidemic disease.
Prodromal stage: If genus epidemicus is
given to an individual in incubative or
prodromal stage, there will be insignificant
or minimal manifestations of disease in the
individual.
Disease stage: When an epidemic disease is
manifested in an individual, the same genus
epidemicus treats him because the remedy
covers both his subjective as well as
objective symptoms.
Disease stage with complications: In case
the manifestation of disease is severe with
complications, thorough individualization of
the case including the significant symptoms
of past and family history is sine qua non .
Dr Pierre Schmidt said, ‘The most
noble role of medicine is unquestionably
prophylaxis. There homoeopathy asserts its
superiority over the existing methods. It can
prevent disease without endangering the
organism, without incurring the
disappointments of the prevailing school of
medicine’.[22]
The historical evidences of HP in preventing
epidemics/pandemics has been provided in
the Table 1.[23-59]
Table 1. Historical evidences of homoeoprophylaxis in preventing Epidemics/Pandemics
Name of Physician
Year Epidemic Evidences
Hahnemann 1801 Scarlet fever Hahnemann suggested Belladonna can be used to prevent Scarlet fever.[20]
- 1801 Scarlet fever Ten doctors used Belladonna as a preventive on 1,646 children, with only 123 cases of the
disease arising, an effectiveness of 92.5%.[23]
Dr Grimmer 1800s Poliomyelitis He treated 5,000 young children with a homeoprophylactic. None developed polio.[24]
Boenninghausen 1800s Smallpox Excellent success in using Thuja occidentalis in the prophylactic treatment of Small-
pox.[25]
Hufeland 1838 Scarlet fever The Prussian Government ordered the use of the prophylactic during all scarlet fever epidemics.[26]
Dr Charge 1841-
1854
Cholera He after producing a statistical table showing the difference in cholera mortality between
homeopathic and allopathic treatment at the Convent Refuge at Marseilles, stated that
once homeopathy was introduced prophylactically, no further cases were reported.[27]
Boenninghausen 1849 Cholera He treated and prevented “untold” numbers of cholera infections with a mortality rate of
5-16% while a death rate of 54-90% occurred with conventional treatment.[28]
Eaton Early
1900
Smallpox During the Smallpox epidemic in the USA, 2806 persons were given Variolinum 30c, out
of which 547 were exposed to the disease and only 14 developed smallpox. This resulted in 97.5% effectiveness of the homoeopathic prophylactic.[29]
Dr Chavanon 1932 Diphtheria Laboratory experiments showed that 45 children became Schick test negative after being
treated homeoprophylactically.[30]
Dr Patterson and
Boyd
1941 Diphtheria 23 out of 33 children became Schick test negative after being given the prophylactic.[31]
Dr Roux 1947 Diphtheria He repeated the Schick test and produced a great results.[32]
Taylor-Smith 1950 Poliomyelitis He investigated the use of the genus epidemicus Lathyrus Sativus in the prevention of poliomyelitis with 100% results.[21]
Dr Eisfelder 1956-
58
Poliomyelitis He immunized over 6,000 children with a homeoprophylactic. No cases of polio and no
side effects were reported.[33]
Francisco Eizayaga
1957 Poliomyelitis A severe poliomyelitis epidemic occurred in Buenos Aires when a known homeoprophylactic was distributed as a preventative. None of them registered a case of
contagion.[34]
Gutman 1963 Influenza Effectiveness of Influenzinum triple Nosode by 21 homoeopathic physicians in three
countries revealed a composite effectiveness of 86%.[35]
Dr Dorothy
Shepherd
1967 Whooping
cough
Several accounts of whooping cough prophylaxis by a nosode are provided.[36]
- 1968-
70
Flu During a survey in Indian factories and offices 20% of the patients treated by conventional
medical physicians contracted the flu. Among the homeopathically treated patients, only 6.5% came down with the disease and recovered more rapidly than allopathically treated
patients.[37]
Castro & Noguiera
1974 Meningitis In August, there was an epidemic of meningitis in Brazil where Meningococcinum 10c was given as prophylactic with effectiveness of 95.7%.[38]
Renu Bala et.al. Historical journey of homoeopathy during epidemic diseases in the light of 2019 novel
coronavirus pandemic
International Journal of Science and Healthcare Research (www.ijshr.com) 220
Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
Francisco
Eizayaga
1975 Poliomyelitis During a poliomyelitis epidemic in Buenos Aires, 40,000 were given a known
homeoprophylactic. None developed poliomyelitis.[34]
Fox 1987 Whooping cough
Effectiveness of Pertussin 30c showed a range of effectiveness from 95% based on confirmed cases of whooping cough.[39]
English 1987 Whooping
cough
Pilot study of Pertussin 30c examined responses concerning 694 children who were given
the remedy every three months during the first year of life, then at 18, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months of age. Effectiveness ranged between 87.0% and 91.5%.[40]
D P Rastogi 1989-
1993
Japanese
encephalitis
During the epidemic in eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) in 1989, 1991 and 1993,
Belladonna 200c single dose was distributed as preventive to 3,22,812 persons in 96
villages in three districts of U.P. In a follow up of 39,250 persons, none of them reported any signs and symptoms of JE.[41]
Dr Eizayaga 1991 Hepatitis When treating individuals with hepatitis, he would also give their family members and
school-mates the prophylactic. None contracted hepatitis in spite of being in close contact.[34]
CCRH 1996 Dengue
haemorrhagic
fever.
A homeoprophylactic was administered to at least 39,200 people in the Delhi area. The
follow-up of 23,520 people, 10 days later, revealed that only 5 people (0.125%) had
developed mild symptoms, with the rest showing no signs or symptoms.[42]
Mroninski 1998 Meningitis Remedy Meningococcinum was given in 30c potency to 65,826 people from 0 to 20 years
of age in Blumenau, Brazil. Another 23,539 people in the area did not receive the remedy.
The rate of protection found in the group using HP was 95% at six months and 91% at 12 months.[43]
- 1999-
2003
Japanese
Encephalitis
Government of Andhra Pradesh adopted Belladonna-Calcarea carbonica-Tuberculinum
bovinum (BCT) regimen as preventive and the response was encouraging. The death rate
was nil in the BCT distributed areas.[44]
Marino 2001 Dengue In Brazil, a single dose of the homeopathic remedy Eupat perf 30c was given to 40% of
residents of the most highly affected neighbourhood. Thereafter, dengue incidence
decreased by 81.5%, as compared with neighbourhoods that did not receive homoeopathic prophylaxis.[45]
Partington, T. 2003-
2005
Malaria A malaria trial was conducted in Kenya using a homeoprophylactic with a group of 33
volunteers. Twenty-one of the volunteers had experienced 1–3 malaria episodes in the 18 months prior to the trial. All the participants in the trial remained malaria free.[46]
Dr Golden 2004 From his 15 yr study, he was able to determine that the unimmunised had an attack rate of
85% while the homeopathically protected group had an attack rate of 11.7%, producing a
figure of efficacy of 86.2%.[47]
- 2009 Dengue In a contained population in Havana, around 20,000 residents were given
homeoprophylactic whose efficacy was between 74.1 and 100%. Apart from a fall in
Dengue cases to zero immediately following the intervention, there was a clear decline in the general incidence of febrile symptoms. [48]
- 2007-
2010
Dengue The Homoeopathic prophylactic was freely distributed by the Health Department of
Macaé in the years: 2007: 216,000 doses; 2008: 203,878 doses; 2009: 211,059 doses;
2010: 178 677 doses. Lethality among notified dengue cases was 0.2% in 2007, 0.0% in
2008, 0.1% in 2009 and 0.2% in 2010.[49]
J Nair 2007 Chikungunya Homoeopathic medicine Bryonia 30c was distributed as a preventive to 19,750 people in
Kerala and it was found to be better than placebo in decreasing the incidence of Chikungunya.[50]
L. Nunes 2007 Dengue A campaign was carried in Brazil where distribution of 1560,00 doses of homoeopathic
complex containing Phosp 30c, Crot hor 30c and Eup perf 30c was done resulting in 93%
reduction in incidence whereas rest of the state showed increase of 128%.[51]
B. Gustavo 2007 Leptospirosis In Cuba, in high-risk regions with a population of 2.4 million persons, 2.1 millions
received one or two doses of homeoprophylaxis and the incidence of Leptospirosis was
significantly diminished by 84% in the group. The intervention was “strongly associated with a drastic reduction of disease incidence resulting in complete control of the
epidemic.” The protective effect continued into 2008 with an 84% reduction in
leptospirosis cases for the treated areas though no further prophylactic had been given. Leptospirosis infections in untreated areas increased by 22%.[52]
- 2008 Malaria At Kendu Bay, Kenya, where malaria is endemic, 34 clients participated in a
homeoprophylaxis observational field study. In the 6 months prior to the study, all participants had experienced malaria-like symptoms at least once a month or every two
weeks. Over the course of the study and use of the prophylactic only 12% (4 out of the 34
respondents) experienced an attack of malaria or malaria-like symptoms.[53]
Lyrio C 2011 Flu Nosodes or placebo was given for 30 days to 450 children in Brazil to test their effectiveness in preventing flu and acute respiratory infections. Over the next 12 months
the incidence of diagnosed acute respiratory infection or flu was 3 times higher in the
placebo group than those given the prophylactics. The researchers commented that the low cost of treatment and the absence of adverse effects made these nosodes a useful Public
Health Service.[54]
- 2011-2013
Malaria In 2011, homoeopathic prophylactic was distributed to 9 areas within Chhattisgarh. Those in unprotected areas were 5 times more likely to contract the disease. On the strength of
these results the program was expanded to 20 areas in 2012 and 40 areas in 2013.[55]
- 2012 Whooping
cough
In an Irish trial involving 112 children (aged 1-2 months), those given homeoprophylactics
for childhood diseases including whooping cough were less likely to experience severe symptoms of the diseases if contracted than the vaccinated comparison group.[56]
S. Gadugu 2014 Japanese
encephalitis
After introduction of homeoprophylaxis in Japanese encephalitis in Andhra Pradesh, the
incidence of the disease decreased dramatically.[57]
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coronavirus pandemic
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- 2014 Dengue The Sing Buri province of Thailand reported the lowest incidence of dengue fever of all
provinces following the distribution of a homeoprophylactic by the Thai government.[58]
B. Kawan 2017 Cholera After the terrible earthquake in Nepal, homeopathic remedies Merc., Aars., Cham., Acon. has been used by a Red Cross team in a camp of about 50,000 earthquake victims, with an
advantage in the prevention of Cholera.[59]
A long-term HP program designed
to offer parents a choice between
vaccination and HP in three diseases
showed the efficacy rates of 86.2% in
Pertussis, 90.0% in Measles, 91.6% in
Mumps.[60]
HP appears from the literature to
offer a level of protection around 90%, and
appears to be an extremely safe method of
prevention against infectious diseases, with
a reaction rate of less than 2% per dose and
no evidence of long-term adverse health
consequences.[15]
Historical evidences of Homoeopathic
treatment in Epidemics/Pandemics
The homeopathic literature is very
rich in reports on the results obtained in the
homeopathic treatment during times of
epidemics which consistently reveal an
extremely low mortality rate regardless of
the physician, the time, the place or the type
of epidemic disease.[19]
Homoeopathy made
its reputation in the 19th
century with
outstanding success in preventing
devastating epidemic infectious disease that
were known to have very high mortality
rates such as cholera, typhoid, Spanish
influenza, yellow fever, scarlet fever,
diphtheria etc.
A record of success story of 50
homoeopathic physicians from different
places during the influenza epidemic who
treated homeopathically with mortality rate
of 0-4% as compared to 30-60% with
conventional treatment proves the supreme
efficacy of homoeopathy in such times of
epidemics.[61]
The detailed historical evidences of
Homoeopathic treatment during numerous
epidemics are given in Table 2.[62- 64]
Table 2. Historical evidences of Homoeopathic Treatment in Epidemics/Pandemics
Name of the
Physician
Year Epidemic/
Pandemic
Evidences
Hahnemann 1813 Typhus At the time when Typhus was considered incurable, a success rate of 100% in treating
183 Typhus patients.[62]
Hahnemann 1831 Asiatic cholera The use of Camphor, Cuprum met and Verat alb can prevent as well as cure cholera.[63]
Homeopathy decreased the death rate from an average of about 50% down to 1-2% .[19]
Dr. J. Bakody 1831 Cholera In Hungary, 223 cases were treated and only 8 died. People addressed a petition to the
allopathic physicians demanding Homoeopathy.[64]
Dr. Karl - Typhus Dr. Karl, Boenninghausen's son, was successful in treating a severe epidemic of typhus
in Westphalia.[64]
Dr. George Henry
Bute
- Asiatic cholera He met with great success in Philadelphia, where the Asiatic cholera had broken out in
a virulent form.[64]
Dr. Anton Fischer 1831 Cholera He achieved results in cholera which astonished the opponents of Homoeopathy.[64]
Dr. Adolphus
Gerstel
1831 Asiatic Cholera He treated 300 cases of cholera in different villages, at Prague with extremely fortunate
results and only showed 32 deaths.[64]
Dr. Herrmann 1827 Dysentery During an epidemic of dysentery achieved brilliant results with Homoeopathic treatment.[64]
Dr.Georg August
Heinrich Muhlenbein
- Scarlatina He received from the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences the great silver medal of
merit in the treatment of epidemic of very malignant form of Scarlatina.[64]
Dr. François
Perrussel
1849-
1857
Cholera,
Diphtheria
When cholera first appeared in France, he won a bronze medal at Marseilles. With an
official commission from the government, in 1849, at Nantes and in 1854 in
Champagne, received for his devotion a gold medal. He also attended at Anjou, in 1857, a terrible epidemic of diphtheria.[64]
Dr. Joseph
Hippolyte Pulte
- Diphtheria He embodied his experiences, reflections and successful treatment during diphtheria
epidemic in a monograph which had an extensive circulation in the West.[64]
Dr. Frederick Hervey Foster
Quin
1831 Cholera Dr. Quin did with signal success during cholera in Moravia. London Homoeopathic Hospital was converted into a cholera hospital, and the remarkable results obtained
were refused for publication in the Blue Book which afterwards, at the instance of
Parliament, incorporated in a separate Blue Book.[64]
Dr. Gustavus
Reichelm
- Measles,
Whooping
cough, Scarlet Fever
Dr. Reichelm, the '' Dutch Doctor", during twelve years under his medical
administration of measles, whooping cough and scarlet fever, reported only two
deaths.[64]
Dr. Joseph Roth - Cholera He published a voluminous report which established great superiority of homoeopathic
Renu Bala et.al. Historical journey of homoeopathy during epidemic diseases in the light of 2019 novel
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Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
method against the epidemic of cholera.[64]
_ 1849 Cholera In a well-documented epidemic of cholera in Cincinnati in 1849, two homeopathic
physicians treated 2,646 cases with 35 deaths, a mortality rate of 1.3%, while, allopathy lost, one half of their cases.[19]
Adolph Lippe 1849 Malignant
Scarlet fever
In Pennsylvania, Lippe treated over 150 cases without a single death, while under
conventional medicine was over 90 percent.[64]
Dr. Rocco Rubini 1854-1865
Cholera He used Camphor in the epidemics of cholera in 1854, 1855 and 1865, and out of 448 cases, every case was cured. Out of 255 cases treated by others in the same manner in
Naples and Abruzzi provinces, only two deaths were recorded. Records are documented
in a book entitled "Statistics of Cholera Patients Cured Solely by the Use of Camphor in 1854-55 and 65."[64]
Dr. Gustav Adolph
Schreter
- Cholera He proved the efficacy of Homoeopathy during the destructive epidemic of cholera
which withstood the allopathic treatment.[64]
Dr. Carl Friedrich Christoph
Schwarze
- Cholera He treated the severest cases of cholera no matter how hopeless the condition.[64]
Dr. Seider 1832 Cholera He treated at Wishni Wolotschok 202 cholera patients. Of these, he treated in the allopathic manner 93, of whom 69 died. He treated homoeopathically 109 cases, and of
these only 23 died.[64]
Dr. Seuber 1831 Cholera In the cholera epidemic of 1831, he treated 209 cases. Of these 93 refused to be treated
homoeopatically and were given allopathic treatment- 69 died, 116 were treated
homoeopathically, and only 23 died.[64]
Dr. Swoff 1831 Cholera He treated at Saratov 939 cases with loss of only 78.[64]
Dr. Tscherwinzky 1831 Cholera In Schitzmir, a highly favorable report of homoeopathic treatment in cholera to the
Minister of the Interior caused an order to the medical authority of Wolkynia to use that method in future epidemics, in consequence of which, in 1837, he treated 400 patients
of whom only twelve died.[64]
Pastor J. M. Veith 1831-32
Cholera He was especially successful with homoeopathic remedies.[64]
Dr. G. A. Weber - Measles He was physician to the Prince of Solms-Lich in Darmstadt. During an attack of a very
malignant epidemic of measles, he treated 100 children by the homoeopathic method without losing one.[64]
_ 1860 Malignant
Diphtheria
Three homeopathic physicians in Philadelphia reported having treated 300 cases of
malignant diphtheria without a single death while the mortality under conventional
medicine was over 50%.[19]
_ 1918-
1920
Spanish flu An estimated 50-100 million deaths worldwide, mortality rate from the combined
effects of Influenza and Pneumonia under conventional medical care was 5.8% while
under homeopathy was 0.7%.[19]
_ 1918-1920
Spanish flu Mortality from the combined effects of Influenza and Pneumonia in pregnant women under conventional medical care was 30% whereas with homeopathic care it was only
0.7%.[19]
_ 1918-1919
Spanish flu The death rates for patients treated with homeopathy was 1 to 2% compared with 30 to 60% mortality for those treated by conventional physicians.[1]
Current 2019-nCoV Pandemic
CoV are a large family of viruses
that cause illness ranging from common
cold to more severe diseases such as MERS-
CoV and SARS-CoV. The new Corona
virus disease (COVID-19) was first reported
from Wuhan, China, on 31 December 2019
and has spread rapidly across 217 countries
infecting 55,56,679 people and causing
death of 3,51,866 people over the globe as
on 28 May, 2020. Common signs of
infection include fever, cough, myalgia,
fatigue and breathing difficulties. In more
severe cases, infection can cause
pneumonia, severe acute respiratory
syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
The function of the immune system is
critical in the human response to infectious
disease. Viral infections induce oxidative
stress and cause damage to airway epithelial
cells. A growing body of evidence identifies
stress, nutrition and immunity as a cofactor
in infectious disease susceptibility and
outcomes. The mainstay in management of
CoV infections has been supportive care,
nutrition and preventing further
progression.[65,66]
In the absence of a
vaccine, social distancing has emerged as
the most widely adopted strategy for its
mitigation and control.[67]
One of the key
issues for controlling this pandemic is to set
up a suitable quarantine period which could
capture about 95% of the cases developing
symptoms so that the practice of isolations
will be more effective and save public
health resources.[68]
Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga &
Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and
Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Government of
India (GOI) has also taken steps to
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Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
undertake research proposals from all
streams of Ayush to generate scientific
evidence on COVID-19.[69]
Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare, GOI also
launched the ‘AYUSH Sanjivani’
application to generate data on acceptance
and usage of AYUSH advocacies.[70]
Indian
Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-
National Institute of Virology (NIV) at Pune
has developed and validated the indigenous
IgG Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay
(ELISA) test “COVID KAVACH ELISA”
for antibody detection for COVID-19.
While real time Reverse Transcription-
Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) is
the frontline test for clinical diagnosis of the
CoV, robust antibody tests are critical for
surveillance to understand the proportion of
population exposed to infection.[71]
Prevention of spread of 2019-nCoV
The GOI is taking every possible
measures for preventing the spread of
COVID-19 pandemic such as social
distancing, putting effective restrictions on
air, train and road travel, screening and
testing of travellers, isolation and
quarantine, school closures etc. A key goal
of such policies is to decrease the
encounters between infected individuals and
susceptible individuals and decelerate the
rate of transmission.
WHO recommends to maintain a 3-
foot (1m) distance away from a person
showing symptoms of disease [72]
whereas
the CDC recommend a 6-foot (2m)
separation.[73]
Although such social distancing
strategies are critical in the current time of
pandemic, it may seem surprising that the
current understanding of the routes of host-
to-host transmission in respiratory infectious
diseases were even described by
Hahnemann in his saying that “The only
means, on which we can rely for checking
epidemics in their birth, is the separation of
the diseased from the healthy”. Hahnemann
gave accurate safety instructions regarding
maintaining the distance for those who visit
sick-beds for the first time, "that they should
be in the commencement rather see their
patients more frequently, but each time stay
beside them as short a time as possible, keep
as far away as possible from the bed and
especially that they should take care that the
sick room be thoroughly aired before their
visit."
He recommended, “Should the
medical man experience in himself some
commencing signs of the disease, he should
immediately leave off visiting the patient. In
such cases I have taken a drachm of
cinchona bark in wine every three quarters
of an hour, until all danger of infection
(whatever kind of epidemic fever the
disease might be) was completely over”.[3]
Management of 2019-nCoV
Medicines like Hydroxychloroquine,
Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) Vaccines,
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
drugs etc are being tested for prevention and
treatment of COVID-19. Some of these are
highly toxic on patients already suffering
with multiple disease conditions and it has
been cautioned that it should not be used
without medical supervision.
One systematic review and meta-
analysis has shown that antipyretic
treatment increases the risk of mortality in
animal models of influenza infection.[74]
Also aggressively treating fever in critically
ill patients may lead to a higher mortality
rate.[75]
It has also been demonstrated that
antipyretic treatment aggravated the
hematogenous spread of the influenza virus
to the central nervous system in chicks.[74]
An increased risk of mortality in animals
was reported in studies of aspirin,
paracetamol and diclofenac.[76]
Homoeopathy in 2019-nCoV
A major treatment paradigm that
evolved centuries ago is presently the
second largest healthcare fraternity of the
world – Homeopathy.[1]
Homoeopathic
medicine ideally has to do with the cure of
disease, the building up of the individual,
not overlooking the proper hygiene and
sanitation, but with a deeper view of the
needs of the individual himself, rather than
the needs of the community.[3]
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Most of the evidences of
homoeopathic treatment during epidemics
happened much before the emergence of the
current bio medicine, modern epidemiology
and contemporary vaccines. While
individualization is the gold standard, it is
impractical to use on a widespread basis
during epidemics. Combination remedies
can be effective but must be based on the
symptoms of a given epidemic in a specific
location. Treatment with genus epidemicus
can also be successful if based on data from
many practitioners. Finally, isopathy shows
promise and might be more readily accepted
by mainstream medicine due to its similarity
to vaccination. Whether using
individualization, combination remedies,
genus epidemicus, or isopathy, we have
several good studies documenting positive
results with homeopathy.[1]
Incidentally, during the 2014 Ebola
epidemic the WHO concluded, “It is ethical
to offer unproven interventions with as yet
unknown efficacy and adverse effects, as
potential treatment or prevention”.[77]
The Health advisory given by
Ministry of AYUSH, GOI against corona
virus infection included Homoeopathic
medicine Ars alb 30c as a possible
preventive[65]
which followed the preventive
distribution of the homeopathic medicine in
various states in India.[78-82]
Earlier
Scientific Advisory Board of Central
Council for Research in Homoeopathy
(CCRH) had also considered Ars alb to be
advised for prevention of Influenza Like
Illness (ILI) on the basis of evidence from
studies.[83-85]
Ars alb as one of the
constituents in a formsulation has been
shown to affect HT29 cells and human
macrophages. Also, it showed ↓NF-κB
hyperactivity (reduced expression of
reporter gene GFP in transfect HT29 cells),
↓TNF-α release in macrophages.[86]
In China, doctors constituted two
sets of homeopathic symptom pictures of
COVID-19 indicating Bry alba and Gels.
They gave Gels 30c as a preventive
medicine to 4-5% of the population in one
area and in another area out of 6,00,000
people 50% got Gels. In both the areas no
sick people were recorded. They also treated
several mild or medium ill COVID-19
patients with Gels, Bry alba, Eup per in
succession. They started to recover on first
day and within 3 days they were healthy.
The American Institute of Homeopathy
database reveals Bry alba and Ars alb make
up about 50% of the successful
prescriptions.[19]
In the Italian study on a group of 50
symptomatic Corona positive patients, the
prescribed medications in order of
frequency were Bry alba (21 times), Ars alb
(16 times), Phos flavus (9 times), Atr bell (6
times), Antim tart (6 times). The
hospitalization rate of this group treated
homeopathically for 2019-nCoV was zero.
No adverse events were observed during
homeopathic treatments.[87]
Dr. Rajan Sankaran advised to give
Camphora 1M twice daily for 2 days as a
prophylactic, Camphora 1M 6 hourly to
people who have got the infection and
Camphora 10 M 6 hourly for those with
severe lung complications.[88]
The international homeopathic
medical society, Liga Medicorum
Homoeopathica Internationalis (LMHI),
representing homeopathic physicians in
more than 70 countries all over the world
also analyzed 132 Covid-19 cases and 76
(57.5%) of them responded well to three
medicines namely Ars alb, Bry and Gels.[89]
Research in Epidemic diseases
CCRH through its network of 26
Institutes/Units all over India has been
conducting medical relief camps in
communicable diseases since its inception
such as conjunctivitis, dengue, Japanese
Encephalitis (JE), bacillary dysentery,
yellow fever, jaundice, typhoid, measles,
meningitis, cholera, viral fevers, kala azar,
plague, malaria, swine flu and chikungunya.
Homoeopathic medicines were distributed
for various disease conditions as mentioned
above as per the genus epidemicus for
preventive purpose.[44]
CCRH had so far
undertaken clinical trials in Dengue, Acute
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Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
Encephalitis syndrome(AES)/JE,
Chikungunya and ILI.
In 2012, a double blind placebo-
controlled randomized trial was conducted
on dengue patients using a homoeopathic
complex (Phos 30c, Crot hor 30c and Eup
perf 30c), where the intervention group
showed improvement in most symptoms
including headache, fever and Myalgia.[90]
In Dengue Hemorrhagic fever, add on
Homoeopathy could bring early
improvement in platelet count and decrease
in hospital stay by 2 days.[91]
A study with combination of six
homoeopathic remedies and placebo in
patients with symptoms of dengue fever in
Honduras was done with no differences in
the resolution of pain and fever between
both the groups. It may be due to the fact
that the composition of the combination
remedy did not accurately match the
symptoms of the patients treated.[92]
In
Pakistan, homoeopathic complex of 10
medicines in dengue fever showed better
results as opposed to standard maintenance
therapy.[93]
In Cuba, 25,000 patients who
tested positive for dengue were treated with
homoeopathic complex (Bry alba, Eup per,
Gels and dengue nosode). As a result, no
severe symptoms were reported nor patients
required intensive care. The stay at hospital
was also reduced from 7-10 days to 3-5
days.[94]
In a study undertaken by CCRH on
JE showed that homeopathy as an adjuvant
to the Institutional Management Protocol
(IMP) decrease death rate by 15% in
comparison to those who received only
IMP.[95]
It has also conducted preclinical
studies in collaboration with School of
Tropical Medicine, Kolkata in both in vitro
and in vivo models where it was found that
Homoeopathic medicine Belladonna could
inhibit JE virus infection in both the models
significantly.[96,97]
Another exploratory
observational study in JE was undertaken in
In-Patient Department (IPD) setting
(epidemic ward) of Baba Raghav Das
(BRD) Medical College and Nehru
Hospital, Uttar Pradesh with successful
reduction in mortality and morbidity rate.[98]
Further, CCRH has undertaken a study in
collaboration with Center for Cellular and
molecular Biology, Hyderabad to
understand the action of Bell, Calc carb,
Tuberculinum (BCT) medicines on JE.[44]
The ILI study revealed the
significant effect of individualized
homoeopathic treatment in the verum group
as compared to placebo group. It was
observed that the complications/sequel rate
was significantly less in the treatment group
as compared to the placebo group.[99]
A few
clinical trials in ILI with homoeopathic
intervention were conducted in the past with
a positive result.[100,101]
A controlled clinical
trial was conducted to assess the
effectiveness of a homoeopathic preparation
in the treatment of influenza-like
syndromes. The proportion of cases who
recovered within 48 h of treatment was
greater among the active drug group than
among the placebo group.[102]
A study
revealed the antiviral efficacies of
homoeopathic medicines to treat Influenza
viruses which cause exceptionally infectious
intense respiratory illnesses with significant
mortality, particularly among small kids, old
individuals, and people with comorbid
ailments.[103]
One study showed that
Influenzinum has a significant role in the
counteraction and treatment of the flu and
Oscillococcinum in the alleviation of the
adverse pathologic effects brought about by
this ailment.[104]
Also Oscillococcinum is
more effective than placebo in the
prevention and / or treatment of influenza
and influenza-like illness in adults or
children.[105]
CCRH conducted a multicenter
study during 1980-2003 to assess role of
homoeopathy in Clinical filariasis with
recurrent adenolymphangitis and
lymphoedema using various indicated
medicines with encouraging results. Further,
a comparative single blind, placebo
controlled study carried out during 1986-
1988, observed an improvement of 40.54%
in the group treated with Rhus tox, Apis mel
or Rhododendron, depending on their
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Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
symptomatic presentation. Another
observational study was carried out during
the period April 1985-March 1989, which
found Rhus tox to be the most effective
medicine. The overall improvement with
homeopathic medicines was 70.7%.[44]
In
another single blind follow-up study in an
endemic village in Odisha, homoeopathic
treatment could effectively reduce the
frequency of filarial fevers by 20 per cent
among amicrofilaraemic cases, with a
higher reduction in cases with genital
involvement (36%) and mastitis (57%).[106]
Further, a study undertaken to show
usefulness of homoeopathic therapy in
preventing development of irreversible
lymphedema concluded that treatment in
early stage helped in restricting the further
advancement of the disease and improved in
quality of life of the patients. The medicines
found effective were Rhus tox, followed by
Sulphur, Bry alba, Nat mur, Apis mel, Puls
nig and Thuja.[107]
CCRH has undertaken initiatives to
prevent and treat malarial cases in endemic
and/or epidemic regions. Preclinical studies
on in vitro and in vivo models on
‘Evaluation of antimalarial efficacy of some
homeopathic drugs against malaria’ will
also be initiated. Further, a proposal has
been drafted for conducting a preventive
trial on ‘Prevention and effectiveness of
homeopathic medicine on malaria – an
interventional cluster study’ in Odisha
covering a spectrum of 12,000 people.[44]
Researchers evaluated the efficacy
of two homeoprophylactics in combination
therapy against lethal murine malaria in
mice. The combination of remedies showed
significant preventive activity with
chemosuppression that was higher than the
standard drug, pyrimethamine. It also
showed a moderate curative activity with
complete clearance of parasites in 50% of
surviving mice. These findings point to the
significant antiplasmodial efficacy of the
combination of these homeopathic drugs
against Plasmodium berghei.[108]
Many
homoeopathic drugs have been scientifically
tested on in-vitro/in-vivo models in recent
studies with promising results, with
significant antiplasmodial efficacy against
various species of plasmodium
parasite.[109,110]
Also a group of predefined
homeopathic medicines were studied in the
management of malaria.[111]
A combination
remedy for Plasmodium berghei in mice
demonstrated considerable in vivo
antimalarial activity and enhanced mean
survival time. The study establishes the
effectiveness of the combination remedy
against P. berghei in vivo along with the
safety of the drugs to the liver and kidney
functions of the host.[112]
In a different type of experiment,
142 laboratory mice were challenged with a
potentially fatal dose of Francisella
tularensis, a rapidly lethal organism.
Potencies of 30c, 200c or 1M of the nosode
were given prophylactically to healthy mice
three times a week for 4 weeks before and 4
weeks after the dose of lethal organism.
Age-matched animals were treated during
the same time with 70% ethanol as controls.
All those treated with the nosode, except
receiving the 1M, had statistically
significant decreased mortality and
increased mean times to death. The results
reported a 22% effectiveness of HP
compared to a control group. However the
major flaw was twelve doses which may
have caused a “proving” effect in the mice
something that could have lowered the
susceptibility of the mice prior to
challenge.[113]
Gripp-Heel, a proprietary combination
remedy also demonstrated significant in
vitro reductions of infectivity by 20% to
40% when tested against many viruses.[114]
An in- vitro study examined and showed the
antiviral activity of Euphorbium
compositum SN (Euphorbium resinifera and
Pulsatilla pratensis) against Influenza A
virus, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV),
Human Rhinovirus (HRV) and Herpes
Simplex Virus type 1 (HSV-1).[115]
The in
vitro effects of the homoeopathic
combination Engystol against DNA
infection Adeno 5 and HSV-1, RSV and
HRV were observed. A 73% decrease of
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Vol.5; Issue: 2; April-June 2020
Adeno 5 specific proteins and an 80%
decrease in HSV-1 explicit proteins were
seen in ELISAs of infected cells treated
with Engystol after disease. Plaque-
reduction assays with the RNA viruses,
RSV and HRV, demonstrated decreases in
infectivity by 37% (RSV) and 20% (HRV),
individually.[116]
A study suggests that
Engystol and Gripp-Heel inhibited the
replication of a variety of respiratory viruses
by stimulating type-1 Interferon release in
different cell systems.[117]
Keeping in view the clinical success
in above mentioned severe diseases,
Homoeopathy as an adjuvant to the usual
care may be used in 2019-nCoV patients.
CONCLUSION
There will always be epidemics and
humanity will always be susceptible to
them. Every epidemic is unique and because
the test of a system of medicine is not in
what it promises but in what it performs,
homeopathy is always ready to face such
uniqueness, regardless of its newest or
severity.
All flu-like illnesses can evolve into
pneumonia, which becomes by far the main
cause of mortality from these illnesses, as
close to 98% of persons dying from these
flu-like illnesses is from pneumonia.[19]
The
current epidemic is also a flu-like illness
that severely affects the older and
immunocompromised segments of our
population. The historical evidences in this
review clearly shows that homeopathy
discloses a very consistent and strong
prophylactic, therapeutic and long-term
effectiveness, while at the same time safe
and cost-effective, and should therefore play
a major role in epidemics for prevention as
well as cure.
Harvey Farrington, one of the pillars
of the American school of homeopathy said
on this point, “The fact that the homeopath
takes cognizance of symptoms per se,
whether indicative of any known disease or
not, enables him to correct the condition
before definite disease results; and still more
important, he is able to combat new diseases
that have never been heard before.
Influenza, or the epidemic later called ‘flu’
which created such havoc among the
soldiers in the United States camps and in
the army overseas, was treated
symptomatically with surprising success by
the homeopathic physicians, while others
were absolutely impotent because they did
not know what caused the infection nor did
anyone understand the pathology”.[19]
Prejudice or ignorance are not valid
reasons to rule out homeopathic prophylaxis
as an adjuvant tool in the fight against
epidemics but rejection implies in
dismissing logic, evidence and scientificity.
The way in which the belief of people
changes after the presentation of empirical
evidence depends on their prior beliefs and
on the quality of the evidence.[118]
People
who did not believe in homoeopathy will
still not be convinced after reading the
evidence presented here. People who are
equivocal will have a more optimistic view,
while people who already believed in the
efficacy of homoeopathy will be almost sure
about the results homoeopathy has shown.
Also much stress needs to be laid upon the
generation of the scientific evidences by the
clinical trials in such epidemics.
It is the time to open the door to
homeopathy, as morbidity and mortality
could be dramatically lessened by the
simple application of homeopathy in the
current epidemic and can greatly speed up
the recovery time without leaving patients
weakened by the treatment. Homoeopathy
shall rise up to the challenge of the current
corona virus pandemic and renew and
establish faith based on some scientific
evidences.
Conflict of interest: None
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How to cite this article: Bala R, Srivastava A.
Historical journey of homoeopathy during
epidemic diseases in the light of 2019 novel
coronavirus pandemic. International Journal of
Science & Healthcare Research. 2020; 5(2):
215-233.
******